Sir Elton John has unveiled extraordinary footage of his famous onstage performance of Empty Garden with John Lennon in New York.

The painstakingly restored film, shot by a fan, is the only known colour footage of the historic occasion on 29 November, 1974, when the former Beatles rocker was the star guest at a gig by the Rocket Man at Madison Square Garden, which turned out to be Lennon's final stage performance.

The unique film of the two musicians will accompany Sir Elton's performance of the song during his Million Dollar Piano shows in Las Vegas.

Mary Ann Summers, who recorded the footage, said, "When Elton began his introduction of John, we were all 'Yes! Yes! Yes!!' It was for real! We got up on our seats, a precarious position when you're dancing and jumping for joy!... When they finished off with I Saw Her Standing There - I simply can't describe the atmosphere - 20,000 people in a place of pure happiness."